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CVE-2026-34827

HIGH

Rack's multipart header parsing allows Denial of Service via escape-heavy quoted parameters

Published April 2, 2026Updated May 13, 2026Source: osv

Summary

## Summary `Rack::Multipart::Parser#handle_mime_head` parses quoted multipart parameters such as `Content-Disposition: form-data; name="..."` using repeated `String#index` searches combined with `String#slice!` prefix deletion. For escape-heavy quoted values, this causes super-linear processing. An unauthenticated attacker can send a crafted `multipart/form-data` request containing many parts with long backslash-escaped parameter values to trigger excessive CPU usage during multipart parsing. This results in a denial of service condition in Rack applications that accept multipart form data. ## Details `Rack::Multipart::Parser#handle_mime_head` parses quoted parameter values by repeatedly: 1. Searching for the next quote or backslash, 2. Copying the preceding substring into a new buffer, and 3. Removing the processed prefix from the original string with `slice!`. An attacker can exploit this by sending a multipart request with many parts whose `name` parameters contain long escape-heavy values such as: ```text name="a\\a\\a\\a\\a\\..." ``` Under default Rack limits, a request can contain up to 4095 parts. If many of those parts use long quoted values with dense escape characters, the parser performs disproportionately expensive CPU work while remaining within normal request size and part-count limits. ## Impact Any Rack application that accepts `multipart/form-data` requests may be affected, including file upload endpoints and standard HTML form handlers. An unauthenticated attacker can send crafted multipart requests that consume excessive CPU time during request parsing. Repeated requests can tie up application workers, reduce throughput, and degrade or deny service availability. ## Mitigation * Update to a patched version of Rack that parses quoted multipart parameters without repeated rescanning and destructive prefix deletion. * Apply request throttling or rate limiting to multipart upload endpoints. * Where operationally feasible, restrict or isolate multipart parsing on untrusted high-volume endpoints.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

Bundler
Update rack to 3.2.6 or later
gem install rack -v 3.2.6
Bundler
Update rack to 3.1.21 or later
gem install rack -v 3.1.21

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (2)

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
rack
rubygems
3.2.0, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 (+2 more)3.2.6
rack
rubygems
3.0.0, 3.0.0.beta1, 3.0.0.rc1, 3.0.1 (+42 more)3.1.21

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 7.5 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-34827?
Rack's multipart header parsing allows Denial of Service via escape-heavy quoted parameters This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of HIGH (CVSS score: 7.5/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-34827?
CVE-2026-34827 affects rack. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-34827 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
7.5

High exploitability or significant impact. Prioritize remediation within days.

Also Known As

GHSA-v6x5-cg8r-vv6x

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